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Head Hunters
The Head Hunters are a raider gang occupying the entrance to Port Philip Bay, Victoria. Due to this optimal position, the gang quickly rose to a position of massive success, until a reunited Williamstown attacked and gained control over important camps in Queenscliff. In 2287, the gang is a shadow of itself, led by the chem-fueled Long Spitz. History The Head Hunters were formed around 2270 by Bloody Tim, a renowned raider and former Fisher. During Tim's time on the waves of Port Philip Bay, he commonly passed through the dangerous currents at the entrance to the Bass Strait proper. Abandoned on the shores of the Bass Strait, Fort Queenscliff still remained an in Tim, being more focused on personal glory than any loyalty to his Family, saw the opportunity present here: if he could seize control of both sides of the channel, he could tax any who pass through, benefitting himself greatly. To execute his cunning plan, Tim gathered together a gaggle of raiders, promising chems, glory and plunder to any who would join him. Much to his pleasure, 20 grizzled raiders signed up to his crew, meeting him outside Fort Queenscliff, Victoria. The gang cleared the upper levels of the Fort over the next week, establishing a raider encampment within the sturdy concrete walls. The lower levels took much longer to eradicate the pest within - and radroaches were a common problem even into the 2280s - but the Head Hunters still pulled through. For the next few years, the gang would attack nearby settlements, raid ships that crash on the rocks below, and do large amounts of chems. Bloody Tim was a ruthless leader who required the utmost devotion from his subordinates. Any of his gang who stepped out of line was severely punished, with numerous hands, feet, and heads cut off. Still, the relative success and optimal positioning of the gang brought them loot and, with loot, new recruits. Gatekeepers and Tolltakers In 2275, the Head Hunters were approached by very heavily armed members of the Victorian Railways company. Daniel Craig, the VR Commissioner, had always been a petty man. With the loss of Steven Charles (VR's puppet Mayor of Williamstown), Hobson Bay - Victorian Railways primary competitors - had managed to get their Mayor into office. This deeply angered Craig. In an attempt to weaken Hobson Bay, Craig approached the Head Hunters with a proposition. Victorian Railways would provide military training and supplies to provide the Head Hunters with naval artillery - as long as they took a shoot on sight policy to any passing Hobson Bay vessels. Tim, being a practical man, weighed the positives and negatives of the deal; the positives were, more plunder and guns; the negatives - non-existant. Tim agreed to the proposal on the spot. The rest of 2275 was spent rebuilding and renovating the defences of Fort Queenscliff. Victorian Railway engineers and trains would approach the encampment and perform construction efforts during the night. Through months of hard labour, the first of the coastal batteries were built. Pre-War naval artillery was mixed with century-old cannons, repurposed tank turrets and boosted Missile Launchers. From the end of 2275 through till 2280, the Head Hunters ruled the division between the Bass Strait and Port Philip Bay. Ships were entirely at the mercy of the guns at Fort Queenscliff. The expansion across the water to Fort Nepean in 2277 put the gang in a position where any ship that wanted to trade between Williamstown and Flounders Island must pay their tolls. Business was incredibly good for Tim's gang. War with the WDF However, good things cannot last forever. Since Mary Lo rose to power in Williamstown, Hobson Bay was supporting sweeping changes to the Williamstown Defence Force to better suit naval trade in the Bass Strait. By 2280, the Navy had reached the point where it was capable of attacking outside factions. With the sinking of a Hobson passenger ship by the Head Hunters, Williamstown began to bay for blood bay. The conflict between the well led, well armed, and highly disciplined Williamstown soldiers and the chem fueled raiders went as well as expected. The WDF outnumbered the raiders and quickly seized the outer perimeter of Fort Queenscliff. The raiders only had the advantage within the enclosed confines of the fort. Here, the clever and liberal use of traps, turrets and chems made the raiders incredibly difficult to eradicate. Alas, the Williamstown grunts proved too numerous and powerful for the Head Hunters, who were forced to retreat to across the water to Fort Nepean. Stardom Eclipsed With the loss of the valuable and powerful naval batteries at Fort Queenscliff, the Head Hunters were in dire straits. Victorian Railways quickly abandoned the raiders to their fate, wishing not to be brought down with an already sinking ship. Out of the surviving raiders, only one of Tim's lieutenants, Long Spitz, remained. The only option available to Spitz was to make the best of it and attempt to continue the gang's previous raider lifestyle from their new base at Fort Nepean. Up to the modern day, this is exactly what the raiders have done. A stalemate exists between the WDF at Fort Queenscliff and the remaining raiders at the Head Hunters Camp. The Head Hunters don't risk provoking what appears to be a sleeping bear. Due to this, raids have been severely limited. While the raiders are still comfortable in their camp, things are nowhere near as good as they were under Bloody Tim. Organisation The Head Hunters are organised like any other raider gang. At the top of the food chain rests whoever the Boss of the gang is - in the case of the Head Hunters, Long Spitz. Underneath Spitz is his lieutenants, who oversee sub-units of the overall gang for various purposes (raiding, defence, ambush, etc). Any ranks lower than Lieutenants are entirely unofficial, based on respect, experience, or connections. The Head Hunters, like most raider gangs, do not elect their leaders. Instead, Bosses and Lieutenants arise through might. Individuals which kill lieutenants or bosses, perform admirably on raids, or otherwise prove their worth to the boss and the gang, can see some form of promotion. Economy The Head Hunters have a typical raider economy. They threaten, attack and cajole passers-by and nearby settlements into providing them with loot to support themselves. The Head Hunters primarily attack and threaten traders that pass between Port Philip Bay and the rest of the Bass Strait, namely the Hobson Bay Trading Company and Charlie's. While this stranglehold has been significantly weakened with the loss of Fort Queenscliff, the fortifications at the Head Hunters Camp are still threatening enough to generate enough plunder for the group to survive. Relations The Head Hunters, as a group of powerful raiders, have few friends in the wasteland. Instead, they primarily have hostile relations with those they come across, especially caravaneers. Surprisingly, some factions were, at one point, strong supporters of the Head Hunters. Blue Packpackers The Blue Packpackers have earned the jealousy of the other caravan companies, not just because of their ludicrous profits, but also because of their ability to pass by the Head Hunters unmolested. The Head Hunters and the Blue Packpackers are at an uneasy stalemate. Both sides are aware of the firepower possessed by their adjacents and, as such, do their best to avoid coming into conflict with one another. Charlie's and the Hobson Bay Trading Company Charlie's and the Hobson Bay Trading Company are two of the primary maritime traders in the Bass Strait and their ships regularly pass between the strait and Port Philip Bay. As such, these two companies are the primary victims of the Head Hunters, suffering from the destruction of ships and regular tolls. Even with the weakened state of the raiders, the caravaneers are still hostile with the gang. Fisher Families The Fisher Families have been hostile to the Head Hunters since the inception of the family. Bloody Tim's decision to give up the sea entirely for personal gain completely flies in the face of Fisher customs, being an act in and of itself deserving of death. The regular sinking of Fisher ships passing between Port Philip Bay and the rest of the Bass Strait has only served to make the faction more and more opposed by the Fishers. Victorian Railways Victorian Railways is one of the strongest - and only - supporters of the Head Hunters. In an attempt to weaken Hobson control over Williamstown, VR has supplied the Head Hunters with much of the skills, parts and ammunition to create their famed naval batteries. In return, the Head Hunters, for a great period of time, would sink Hobson ships on sight. Technology tanks near Fort Queenscliff after it's occupation by the Williamstown Defence Force. Within the picture is a relaxing soldier of the WDF. ]] The Head Hunters are surprisingly technologically advanced for a group of raiders. Their power in the Bass Strait comes from the extensive batteries of Pre- and Post-War artillery which filled Fort Queenscliff and Fort Nepean. Each battery had numerous guns, ranging from early 1900s relics to repurposed tank cannons borrowed from Pre-War military units. As well as their naval artillery, the Head Hunters make use of numerous small arms, missile launchers, and melee weapons. While slightly better armed than the average raider gang, the gang maintains their equipment poorly. The only thing keeping their equipment in working order is spit and hope. Category:Raiders Category:Mercenaries Category:Victoria Category:Groups